Haggle Skill [Archive] - Wizards Community

Haggle Skill [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Hazkali
06-08-06, 03:21 PM Hi guys

I came up with this skill a while ago after one member of my group sidetracked about 10 minutes of game time trying to sell a wand of light. Please feel free to copy, knock down or generally ignore this skill:

Haggle (Cha)
Class skill for Bards and Rouges, Usable untrained

1) Both parties appraise the item to get its worth. Only really applicable for exotic, rare items
2) The owner sets the base price for the item. If the buyer thinks this is unreasonable, based on their appraisal of the item, the haggling has failed before it has begun. (typically if the base price is double buyer's appraisal, adjudicated by the DM)
3) If not, both parties make opposed haggle rolls. The winner gains the upper hand.
4) The winner shifts the price of the item in their favour by 1% per point they beat their opponent’s roll
5) When selling to a merchant, merchants will only accept a starting point for haggling of half of their appraised value (just like in the rulebook it says that items can be sold at half their value).
6) Other skills can come into play- bluff against appraise to fool someone about the value of something. This usually only affects step 2.

Diplomacy can be used instead of haggle, but ranks in diplomacy are only worth half for haggle checks.

Comments? Suggestions? Recipe ideas?
Darth Sephiroth
06-08-06, 05:37 PM why make one, normally Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate work well when necessary.
Verelor
06-12-06, 10:17 PM It's not an altogether bad idea. Though there would definitely be synergies between this skill and Bluff, Diplomacy, and Appraise.
capnwoodrow
06-14-06, 05:29 PM Woo hoo! I can invest skill points in a new skill and several of the old skills for synergy purposes for something that is only useful occasionally and has a six step flow that might "Fail before it has begun." And if it does work, I could get at 20th level (with a CHA modifier of +6 and also assuming synergies from appraise, bluff, and diplomacy) 35% off one item!? Sign me up!

In all seriousness, no. The old skills work fine. You said that it took ten minutes in a sidetrack over a wand of light to get you to think this out, do you think your new system will speed that up or slow it down?

Here's what I think:
Add to Bard and Rogue first level class abilties-Haggle (Ex): Using their wits, charisma, and fast talking nature to their advantage ,the character is capable of making a level check (DC 10+every 1,000 the item is appraised for) to get a more favourable price from someone selling an item. The degree of success is determined by the DM. An item may not be sold for less than 1/2 its appraised value.

Probably not much better, but I'm at work and tis all I could think of. This still allows a Rogue or Bard a good chance of talking someone down, you've brought it to a single roll, and non-hagglers can still try the old fashioned way. It sounds like your players (like mine) refuse to pay for anything without making a CHA roll to try and get the price down. Trying to get a haggle skill up may seem like it would help them out, but it would really just slow them down in the long run.
Sinaz
06-19-06, 07:43 PM This is, in my opinion, a house-rule that overrides one of the little fun nuances of role-playing.

My players enjoy using thier own wit and determination coupled with a diplomacy and a bluff check to haggle over the inventory.

Usually, haggling comes into play when the players value thier gold (that the DM has well managed the influx) and needs certain items from shop keepers (or needs to offload loot for a specific sum of money.)

It usually plays out that I have a notion of what the artifact is worth, set a price based on the personality of the shopkeeper, and then roleplay thier haggling based on a bluff check. If the player is not making any headway on getting what he wants, he can try to soften up the merchant with a diplomacy check. It's very fluid, and has never steered us wrong. we don't need to know percentages and advantages and such... we just need a general notion of supply, demand, value, and the result of a bluff check.
Thane26425
06-24-06, 09:20 PM The Complete Adventurer already has an expansion for using Diplomacy to haggle.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Hazkali 06-08-06, 03:21 PM	Hi guys I came up with this skill a while ago after one member of my group sidetracked about 10 minutes of game time trying to sell a wand of light. Please feel free to copy, knock down or generally ignore this skill: Haggle (Cha) Class skill for Bards and Rouges, Usable untrained 1) Both parties appraise the item to get its worth. Only really applicable for exotic, rare items 2) The owner sets the base price for the item. If the buyer thinks this is unreasonable, based on their appraisal of the item, the haggling has failed before it has begun. (typically if the base price is double buyer's appraisal, adjudicated by the DM) 3) If not, both parties make opposed haggle rolls. The winner gains the upper hand. 4) The winner shifts the price of the item in their favour by 1% per point they beat their opponent’s roll 5) When selling to a merchant, merchants will only accept a starting point for haggling of half of their appraised value (just like in the rulebook it says that items can be sold at half their value). 6) Other skills can come into play- bluff against appraise to fool someone about the value of something. This usually only affects step 2. Diplomacy can be used instead of haggle, but ranks in diplomacy are only worth half for haggle checks. Comments? Suggestions? Recipe ideas?
Darth Sephiroth 06-08-06, 05:37 PM	why make one, normally Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate work well when necessary.
Verelor 06-12-06, 10:17 PM	It's not an altogether bad idea. Though there would definitely be synergies between this skill and Bluff, Diplomacy, and Appraise.
capnwoodrow 06-14-06, 05:29 PM	Woo hoo! I can invest skill points in a new skill and several of the old skills for synergy purposes for something that is only useful occasionally and has a six step flow that might "Fail before it has begun." And if it does work, I could get at 20th level (with a CHA modifier of +6 and also assuming synergies from appraise, bluff, and diplomacy) 35% off one item!? Sign me up! In all seriousness, no. The old skills work fine. You said that it took ten minutes in a sidetrack over a wand of light to get you to think this out, do you think your new system will speed that up or slow it down? Here's what I think: Add to Bard and Rogue first level class abilties-Haggle (Ex): Using their wits, charisma, and fast talking nature to their advantage ,the character is capable of making a level check (DC 10+every 1,000 the item is appraised for) to get a more favourable price from someone selling an item. The degree of success is determined by the DM. An item may not be sold for less than 1/2 its appraised value. Probably not much better, but I'm at work and tis all I could think of. This still allows a Rogue or Bard a good chance of talking someone down, you've brought it to a single roll, and non-hagglers can still try the old fashioned way. It sounds like your players (like mine) refuse to pay for anything without making a CHA roll to try and get the price down. Trying to get a haggle skill up may seem like it would help them out, but it would really just slow them down in the long run.
Sinaz 06-19-06, 07:43 PM	This is, in my opinion, a house-rule that overrides one of the little fun nuances of role-playing. My players enjoy using thier own wit and determination coupled with a diplomacy and a bluff check to haggle over the inventory. Usually, haggling comes into play when the players value thier gold (that the DM has well managed the influx) and needs certain items from shop keepers (or needs to offload loot for a specific sum of money.) It usually plays out that I have a notion of what the artifact is worth, set a price based on the personality of the shopkeeper, and then roleplay thier haggling based on a bluff check. If the player is not making any headway on getting what he wants, he can try to soften up the merchant with a diplomacy check. It's very fluid, and has never steered us wrong. we don't need to know percentages and advantages and such... we just need a general notion of supply, demand, value, and the result of a bluff check.
Thane26425 06-24-06, 09:20 PM	The Complete Adventurer already has an expansion for using Diplomacy to haggle.